I have four large dogs. Two of them are friendly and no problem in public. The other two are male littermates (almost three years old) and dislike people. No matter what I try they just do not like people, especially kids. They bark but never advance. I have taken them out in public for walks and they are fine as long as no one stops to talk to me or asks to pet them. Do some dogs just not like people?

Name Withheld Marysville, WA

Wow. Your question seems appropriate for Halloween because your situation is very scary.

Dogs evolved to live among humans. As everyone knows, most dogs are amazingly well-adapted to life in two-legged society. But there are exceptions.

Dogs that display aggressive tendencies towards humans are dangerous. Large dogs that threaten children are beyond dangerous. You need to address this situation immediately.

I recommend that you keep the two dogs in question completely isolated from people (especially children) until you have sought the advice of a veterinarian who has special training and is certified in canine behavior.

If you don’t tackle this problem immediately and aggressively, a child may be harmed. You could end up with a lifetime of guilt–and a prison sentence.